Big Ten media day for men’s basketball takes place Thursday in Chicago and the annual “official unofficial” Big Ten preseason media poll was released this morning.
The poll surveyed writers from across the conference to get their predicted conference order of finish.
The panel was also asked to select a preseason player of the year, as well as all-league first and second teams, freshman of the year and transfer of the year.
Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch organizes the poll. The Big Ten does not conduct a full preseason media poll for men’s basketball.
Here are the full results:
Predicted order of finish for the Big Ten (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Illinois, 516 (19)
2. Michigan State, 500 (9)
3. Michigan, 451 (1)
4. UCLA, 391
5. Nebraska, 382
6. Purdue, 361
7. USC, 350
8. Ohio State, 332
9. Indiana, 303
10. Iowa, 273
11. Wisconsin, 252
12. Maryland, 207
13. Minnesota, 175
14. Oregon, 149
15. Washington, 119
16. Northwestern, 94
17. Rutgers, 73
18. Penn State, 36
Indiana was picked as high as 5th on one ballot and as low as 13th on one ballot. Total ballot distribution for the Hoosiers: 5th (1), 6th (1), 7th (3), 8th (7), 9th (12), 10th (2), 11th (1) and 13th (1).
Preseason Big Ten player, freshman and transfer of the year
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. was voted Big Ten preseason player of the year, receiving 23 of the available 29 votes.
David Mirkovic of Illinois received five votes and Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort received one vote.
Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson was voted Big Ten preseason freshman of the year with 16 votes. UCLA’s Nikola Kusturica received nine votes, with Quentin Coleman of Illinois, USC’s Christian Collins, Purdue’s Luke Ertel and Maryland’s Baba Oladotun each receiving one vote.
Stefan Vaaks of Illinois was voted Big Ten preseason transfer of the year with 12 votes. Indiana’s Markus Burton and Aiden Sherrell each received five votes. Michigan’s Moustapha Thiam received four votes, UCLA’s Jaylen Petty received two votes and Oregon’s Malique Ewin received one vote.
Preseason All-Big Ten teams
Players received two points for a first-team vote and one point for a second-team vote. Unanimous selections in all caps.
First team
JEREMY FEARS JR., Michigan State (56)
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska (54)
David Mirkovic, Illinois (53)
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan (50)
Trey McKenney, Michigan (30)
Second team
Nolan Winter, Wisconsin (27)
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State (24)
Rodney Rice, USC (15)
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois (14)
Aiden Sherrell, Indiana (13)
Others receiving votes: Pharrell Payne, Maryland (11), Trent Perry, UCLA (8), Stefan Vaaks, Illinois (8), Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois (7), Nikola Kusturica, UCLA (7), Markus Burton, Indiana (6), Moustapha Thiam, Michigan (5), Alijah Arenas, USC (4), Coen Carr, Michigan State (4), Braden Frager, Nebraska (4), Caden Pierce, Purdue (3), Cade Tyson, Minnesota (3), Malique Ewin, Oregon (2), Jaylen Pett, UCLA (2), Anthony Thompson, Ohio State (2), Jacob Cofie, USC (1), Tariq Francis, Rutgers (1), Zvonimir Ivisic, Illinois (1), KJ Lewis, USC (1), Baba Oladotun, Maryland (1), Tate Sage, Iowa (1), Wesley Yates, Washington (1).
How Alex Bozich of Inside the Hall voted
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Michigan
4. USC
5. Ohio State
6. UCLA
7. Indiana
8. Purdue
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Wisconsin
12. Maryland
13. Minnesota
14. Oregon
15. Washington
16. Northwestern
17. Rutgers
18. Penn State
Player of the Year: Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Freshman of the Year: Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
Transfer of the Year: Aiden Sherrell, Indiana
All-Big Ten first team:
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Trent Perry, UCLA
All-Big Ten second team:
Trey McKenney, Michigan
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
Rodney Rice, USC
Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
Voting panel
Scott Richey — Illinois | Champaign News-Gazette
Jeremy Werner — Illinois | 247Sports
Alex Bozich — Indiana | Inside the Hall
Trevor Andershock — Indiana | 247Sports
Tyler Tachman — Iowa | The Des Moines Register
Chad Leistikow — Iowa | The Des Moines Register
George Gerbo — Maryland | Washington Times
Patrick Stevens — Maryland | The Washington Post
Dylan Burkhardt — Michigan | UMHoops
Andrew Kahn — Michigan | MLive.com
Matt Wenzel — Michigan State | MLive.com
Graham Couch — Michigan State | Lansing State Journal
Andy Greder — Minnesota | St. Paul Pioneer Press
Ryan James — Minnesota | 247Sports
Robin Washut — Nebraska | On3
Wilson Moore — Nebraska | Omaha World-Herald
Amie Just – Nebraska | Lincoln Journal Star
Adam Jardy — Ohio State | Columbus Dispatch
Steve Helwagen — Ohio State | 247Sports
Chris Hansen — Oregon | The Register Guard
Jon Sauber — Penn State | Centre Daily Times
Brian Neubert — Purdue | On3
Jerry Carino — Rutgers | Asbury Park Press
Brian Fonseca — Rutgers | NJ.com
Tracy McDannald – UCLA | Bruin Report
Connor Morrissette – UCLA | Bruin247.com
Nile McNair — Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Journal
John Steppe — Wisconsin | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
No voters came from publications covering Northwestern or USC. Three voters cover Nebraska. Every other beat had two voters except Oregon, Penn State and Purdue, which had one each.
